Fire-escape.



'No. 756,623. v PATENTED APR. 5, 1904. G. L. GRAVES.

FIRE ESGAPE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3. 1903.

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N o. 756,623. PATENTED APR. 5, 1904. O. L. GRAVES.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3. 1903 NO 110113;. 2 sums-451mm 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented April 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. GRAVES, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALF TO A. O. MEGQUIER, OF MILBANK, SOUTH DAKOTA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,623, dated April 5, 1904:.

Application filed August 3, 1903.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OHARLEs L. GRAVES, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to portable fire-escapes; and the object of the invention is to provide a light, compact, but strong and durable device by means of which the occupants of a burning building can easily and quickly escape. a

A further object is to provide a fire-escape that is easily transported from place to place, and hence particularly adapted for travelers, though suitable for the use of permanent occupants of hotels, oflice buildings, and tenements.

A further object is to provide a fire-escape having means whereby the person descending can regulate the speed of descent and at any time check downward movement entirely.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view showing the device in use. Fig. 2 is a detail showing the seat or saddle arranged to receive the person descending. Fig. 3 is a side view of the device. Fig. 4C is a front view. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the cable-drum,- and Fig. 6 is a top view.

In the drawings, 2 represents a drum secured upon a shaft 3, that is mounted in bars A and 5. The shaft 3 is provided at one end with athumb-nut 6, secured thereon, by meansof which the shaft and drum can be revolved to wind up the cable, and between said drum and the bar at on the shaft 3 I provide afriction-washer 7. The end of the shaft 3 opposite the nut 6 is threaded and provided with a thumb-nut 8, by means of which the operator can increase or decrease the friction between the drum and the washer 7 and regulate the freedom of "revolution of the drum. A pin 9 is secured to the lower end of the bar Serial No. 167,990. (No model.)

5 and has a threaded connection with the bar 4 and is provided with a thumb-nut 10 for convenience in revolving the pin. The holes in the bars through which the shaft 3 passes are sufiiciently large to allow the bars to rock thereon, and the drum serves as a fulcrum when the ends of the bars are moved toward or from each other. A pin 11 connects the bars 4 and 5 above the drum 2 and is slidable with respect to the bar 5 to permit the upper ends of the bars to be drawn together. One of the drumheads is radially corrugated, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, and in the bottom of the depressions formed by said corrugations I provide a series of holes 12 near the periphery of the head and adapted to receive a pin 13, carried by a spring-arm 1 1, that is secured to the bar 5 at a point preferably near its lower end. The arm 14 is turned inwardly and extends past the drum and the opposite bar 1 and has, preferably, an upwardlyturned end 15in position to be conveniently grasped by the operator to press the springarm 14 away from the drum and disengage the pin 13 from the holes 12. The upper end of the bar 5 is connected by ahinge 16 with a loop 17, provided on a handle-piece 18, and said loop incloses a cylindrical member 19, mounted at its lower end on the pin 11 and provided at its ends with spirally-arranged grooves 20. The bar 1 extends up upon the opposite side of the part 19 to a point opposite the hinge 16 and is engaged by the inwardly-curved portion 21 of the handle 18 when the said handle is drawn down by the hand of the operator. A cable 22, preferably of wire, is secured to the drum and wound thereon and inserted into the spiral grooves, and its free end is provided with a hook device 23, that is adapted to be attached to any fixed object in the room to secure that end of the cable while the person is descending. These grooves extend from the ends of the cylinder a short distance toward the middle portion thereof and act as guides to retain the cable in its proper position on the cylinder. The middle portion of the cylinder has a smooth surface around which the cable is coiled and between which and the cable a sufficient friction is created to retard the descent of the device and the load suspended thereby. I have shown a cylinder of sufficient length to allow a suflicient coil of the cable therearound; but it will be understood that the length of the cylinder may be varied according to the amount of friction desired. The lower ends of the bars 4 and 5 are provided with holes 24 and 25 to receive cords 26 and 27 passing therethrough, said cords being provided with plates 28, preferably of leather, which serve to keep the coils apart and form a seat or saddle for the persondescending. I also prefer to provide a cord 29, attached at its ends to the pin 9 and adapted to pass around the body of the person seated in the saddle, as shown in Fig. 1.

The manner of using my improved fire-escape is as follows: The hook 23 having been secured to some object in the room, the person desiring to descend will take his seat in the saddle and grasping the handle 18 will allow the cylindrical member 19 to slide down the cable. If the speed becomes too great, the operator, bearing down on the handle 18, will force the curved portion 21 into engagement with the upper end of the bar 4 and draw the upper ends of the bars 4 and 5 together into contact with the cable 22. The engagement of these bars with the cable will force it against the surface of the cylinder and greatly increase the friction, and by raising and lowering the handle 18 the operator can easily increase or decrease the pressure of the bars on the cable and regulate the speed of descent. In descending the operator will press upon the end 15 of the arm 14 and hold the pin 13 out of the holes in the drumhead; but if it is desired to stop downward movement entirely the operator will release the arm 14, whereupon the pin 13 will enter one of the holes 12 and lock the drum against further revolution and stop clescent. By adjusting the threaded end of the pin 9 in the bar 4 the normal distance of the upper ends of the bars 4 and 5 from the cylindrical member and the cable may be regulated, and as the handle part 18- is carried by the bar 5 the movement of the upper end of said bar will cause a corresponding movement of the handle to change its position with re spect to the cable and the bar 4, which said handle engages.

When not in use, the device can be conveniently packed for transportation from place to place. i

I claim as my invention 1. A fire-escape, comprising a cylindrical member, a cable coiled about said member and having suitable guides, bars provided on each side of said member, a lever device arranged to draw said bars into engagement with said cable to increase the friction ,between it and said member, and a seat or saddle suspended below said member.

2. The combination, with asuitable frame, of a drum mounted therein, a cable provided on said drum, a fixed cylindrical member provided above said drum and having spirallyarranged grooves in its periphery forming guides for said cable, and means for pressing said cable against the surface of said member to increase the friction between them, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a frame and a cable wound thereon, of a cylindrical member around which said cable is coiled, guides for said cable, bars provided upon each side of said cylindrical member, and a handle device pivoted on one of said bars and arranged to engage the other to draw them together against saidcable, for the purpose specified.

4. A portable fire-escape, comprising bars,

a drumrnounted therein, a cable provided on said drum, a cylindrical member fixed between the upper ends of said bars and having spirally-arranged grooves to receive said cable, and a hand-operated device arranged to press the upper ends of said bars against said cable, for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with aframe, of a drum mounted therein, a cable wound upon said drum, a member fixed above said drum and provided at its ends only with spirally-arranged guiding-grooves to receive said cable, and a seat or saddle suspended from the lower portion of said frame, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a frame and. a saddle suspended thereon, of a drum mounted in said frame, a cable wound upon said drum, a spring-arm having a pin adapted to enter holes in the head of said drum, a member fixed above said drum and around which said cable is coiled, and means within control of the operator for increasing the friction between said cable and member, for the purpose specified.

7 The combination, with a drum and its shaft, of bars loosely mounted on said shaft,

means adj ustably connecting the lower ends of said bars, a cylinder fixed above said drum, acable wound upon said drum and coiled about said cylinder, and a handle device carried by one of said bars and arranged to engage the other to force them into contact with said cable, substantially as described. v

8. The combination, with a suitable frame, of a cylindrical member mounted therein, a cable coiled about said member, a saddle suspended below said frame, means arranged to v be pressed into engagement with said cable to increase the friction between it and said member, and a vertmally-oscfllatmg lever device within control of the operator arranged to engage said pressing means.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of July, 1903.

CHARLES L. GRAVES. In presence of RICHARD PAUL, S. V. GRIFFIN.

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